As communication devices, such as mobile telephones, and communication networks become increasingly sophisticated there are an increasing number of communication services being offered to consumers. Examples of such communication services include instant messaging, push-to-talk, presence systems, voice clipping, and the like.
However, whenever a new communications service is developed there is typically a significant delay before the enabling technology finds its way onto consumer communication devices. This situation is further compounded since network operators are typically unwilling to invest in new services until consumers are able to use such services, and consumers are generally unwilling to purchase new communication devices supporting new communication services until such services are provided by the network operator. During this time, network operators are unable to generate significant revenue from such services, and at the same time, often significant numbers of consumers are unable to benefit from such services.
A recent example of such a situation is that of push-to-talk (PTT) which is a communications service available predominantly from mobile telephones. Push-to-talk is a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology which enables voice messages to be exchanged between members of a group in substantially real-time. Push-to-talk provides half-duplex communications, with the user experience being similar to that provided by conventional citizens band (CB) radio and walkie-talkies.
Use of push-to-talk requires both a suitable PTT client application to be installed and running on a communication device handset, and a suitable PTT server to be provided by the network operator.
As far as mobile telephone handsets are concerned, there are two primary ways in which a PTT client application can be included thereon. On recent so-called smartphones, such as, for example, those handset executing the Symbian Series 60 operating system, a PTT client application may be downloaded to the handset and executed much like a software application may be downloaded and executed on a personal computing device such as a personal computer.
Many non-smart phones, however, are designed to have a fixed operating environment which is typically fixed during manufacture. Thus typically the only way for a mobile phone owner to obtain a PTT client application on their mobile phone is to buy a new mobile phone, or to have the existing phone reprogrammed. Reprogramming to add a PTT client application, however, may not be possible if the mobile phone, for example, does not have sufficient hardware resources, such as memory, processing power, etc. Furthermore, reprogramming typically can only be performed at authorised service centres by trained personnel and generally will involve the customer having to physically take their mobile phone to the service centre, and may also require payment of an administration fee. Furthermore, the provision of such service centres for reprogramming purposes represents a significant overhead to the mobile phone manufacturers. Consequently, many mobile phone owners may decide not to opt for reprogramming.
The emergence of PTT client applications on communication device handsets is expected to follow a path similar to that taken by SMS client applications when SMS services were first launched. So although currently only few mobile phones have PTT client applications installed as standard, in a few years it is expected that the majority of mobile phones will come with PTT client applications installed as standard.
However, whilst it seems likely now that PTT client applications will shortly be available as standard on the majority of new mobile phones, the deployment of other new communication services is hindered by similar problems to those experienced by PTT. One notable problem is the long lapse of time between the development of a new communication service and the emergence of communication device handsets having suitable client applications for enabling use of the new communication service. Such problems are detrimental to consumers, handset manufacturers and network operators alike.